Grabbing North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was a no-brainer for the Chicago Bulls. Their selection of Texas swingman Dailyn Swain at No. 15, however, raised some eyebrows — and even more will lift when Swain makes a bigger impact than his rookie counterpart this season.
Sounds crazy, right? How could Swain, who some considered a reach at No. 15, outplay Wilson, one of the best prospects in a historically loaded draft class?
Thirty seconds of Wilson highlights will make you salivate over a hyper-elite athlete and violent finisher. Swain's skill set as a big wing who can bully his way to the rim doesn't pop in quite the same way.
As a rookie, though, there's a chance his more refined game contributes to winning quicker than Wilson's explosive chaos does.
Bulls most impactful rookie might be Dailyn Swain, not Caleb Wilson
Swain fits squarely into the SLAP archetype Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham covets: He's 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds (size) with a 6-foot-10 wingspan (length), is a high-level athlete (athleticism), and his game is built around using that size and strength to overpower defenders (physicality).
The 20-year-old has the kind of versatile skill set that should land him a role right away under head coach Tiago Splitter. He's a surprisingly shifty ball-handler for someone his size. He can take defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim. He gets to the free-throw line a ton. He can create shots for teammates as a driver, and he can play both sides of a pick-and-roll.
He's capable of guarding at least three positions. He can lead a fastbreak or gallop up the floor and slash to the rim.
Swain's biggest bugaboo at this point in his career is a lack of a 3-point jumper; he shot just 34.4 percent from three last season with the Longhorns. His 0.9 made threes per game in 2025-26 was the best mark of his three-year college career.
Still, the All-SEC selection does just about everything else well, and thus should catch Splitter's eye early — as early as summer league, when the Bulls' new head coach will roam the sidelines for the first few games in Las Vegas.
Wilson will certainly contribute in his own way. He's Graham's dream SLAP prospect and is well-positioned to be the face of the franchise at some point.
But Swain's versatility could get him on the floor early, often, and in multiple personnel groupings. It will give him an opportunity to make a significant impact in his rookie campaign.
After all, why wouldn't you give solid minutes to a guy who's drawn comparisons to Jalen Brunson?
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